THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NY & NJ

Press Release Article

RECORD $48 MILLION FOR SCHOOL SOUNDPROOFING APPROVED
BY PORT AUTHORITY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Date: Feb 24, 2005Press Release Number: 15-2005

Funding Will Soundproof 30 Schools in New York and New Jersey

A record $48 million to provide quieter classrooms in 30 schools in New York and New Jersey was authorized by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners today as part of a continuing 22-year-old program to soundproof all local schools affected by aircraft noise.

The funding was approved for 19 schools in New York and 11 schools in New Jersey.

New York Governor George E. Pataki said, “Providing our children with the tools they need to excel in the classroom is crucial to advancing their education. This includes providing an environment that allows students to concentrate without the distraction of aircraft noise. I applaud the Port Authority for its continued commitment to our children’s education.”

Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said, “The Port Authority’s school soundproofing program continues to demonstrate its success in schools in New York and New Jersey. Along with our federal partners, the Port Authority’s 22-year commitment has provided the funding necessary to create a quiet learning environment.”

Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles A. Gargano said, “The Port Authority recognizes its responsibility to be a good neighbor to those who live, work and learn near its facilities. Our children need school buildings that provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. The ongoing soundproofing program has benefited dozens of schools in New York and New Jersey and helped to ensure continued quality educational environments for our students.”

Port Authority Executive Director Kenneth J. Ringler Jr. said, “The Port Authority strives to be a good neighbor to the communities that surround all of our facilities, including our airports. This funding will ensure that schoolchildren have the proper atmosphere in which to learn because soundproofing has been proven to cut aircraft noise levels in half. An added benefit from this program is that the installation of acoustical windows, which reduce sound transmission, also provides extra insulation that should reduce heating and air conditioning costs.”

The Port Authority has invested $319 million to soundproof 77 schools in New York and New Jersey since the program began in 1983.

All schools in federally defined “noise-affected areas” around Port Authority airports are being soundproofed. The Port Authority’s school-soundproofing program will continue beyond these areas, with the agency determining future eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

The Board’s authorization is contingent on the continuing availability of federal funds. The soundproofing program is a joint effort of the Port Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which contributes up to 95 percent of the funding under its Airport Improvement Program. The Port Authority administers the program and provides the balance of the funding.

The Port Authority has been recognized for decades as a leader in the aviation industry in reducing aircraft noise. The agency was one of the first and most persistent airport operators in the nation to successfully lobby the federal government to require the quieter “Stage 3” aircraft on all commercial flights. Two years ago, the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners also banned the use of “Stage 1” general aviation aircraft — the oldest and loudest planes — at Teterboro Airport.

As a result of these efforts, the number of people living in federally defined noise-affected areas around Port Authority airports has dropped by 97 percent in recent years.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates many of the busiest and most important transportation links in the region. They include John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and Teterboro airports; AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark; the George Washington Bridge; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey; the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid-transit rail system; the Port Authority- Downtown Manhattan Heliport; Port Newark; the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal; the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island; the Brooklyn Piers/Red Hook Container Terminal; and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. The agency also owns the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The Port Authority is financially self-supporting and receives no tax revenue from either state.

A complete list follows of the 30 schools in the 2005 school-soundproofing program and the money authorized for each of them.